A vehicle slammed into The Gun Junction building at 601 North Washington about 11:40 p.m. Friday night.

No injuries were reported, but there was damage.

Geary County rural firefighters responded to three fire calls during the day on Thursday.

Three were in response to what were termed by Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges as “puffs of smoke. ” He noted that there was another call about 7 p.m. Thursday. “We had one rekindle back in the area of K-57 South and Ridge Road, which we’ve been at multiple times throughout the week. We were able to get up on top of the hill and put the fire out.” Berges estimated about one-half acre of grassland burned in that blaze.

The reduced number of fire calls is giving firefighters time to make repairs on three trucks, and get some rest.

A burning ban continues in effect in Geary County.

Geary County Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges has announced that a burning ban is now in effect in Geary County. No fire burn permits will be issued until sufficient rainfall is received.

Berges announced the ban after consulting with County Commission Chair Florence Whitebread.

He said rural firefighters were called out on two calls Wednesday, after battling multiple blazes on Tuesday including an estimated 6,000 acre grass fire in the southeast part of the county. On Wednesday firefighters responded southeast of Junction City to a rekindled blaze near Carr Road, and in the second smoke was reported near the RC Kennels business southeast of Junction City, but no fire was located.  That business had been threatened by a rekindled grass fire earlier in the week but was not damaged.

Berges said the public should not do any outdoor burning of trash, and urged caution in the discarding of smoking materials.

During the past two days alone, approximately 35 firefighters have battled fires, and Berges indicated trucks and equipment also need to be checked after heavy use.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Latest on wildfires burning in Kansas and Oklahoma …all times local):

4:50 p.m.

Kansas authorities say wildfires in several Kansas counties have been largely contained.

The Kansas Adjutant General’s office said in an emailed statement Wednesday that the fires in the northeast Kansas counties of Wabaunsee, Geary, Riley and Pottawatomie are for the most part contained. The office says crews continue to monitor small smoldering patches in the region.

The office also says a grass fire in Morton County in southwest Kansas has been contained with the exception of hot spots.

The grassfire in northern Oklahoma is also no longer threatening Comanche County, Kansas.

The adjutant general’s office also says the State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka has returned to normal operations but is maintaining contact with local officials in the affected counties.

11:45 a.m.

More than 18 square miles of rangeland has burned in the latest Kansas wildfires.

Ben Bauman, spokesman for the Kansas Adjutant General’s Office, says two homes, one mobile home and at least eight outbuildings were destroyed Tuesday. Residents of several rural communities were urged to leave their homes before the blazes were brought mostly under control.

No injuries have been reported.

In northern Kansas, fires burned about 6,000 acres in Geary County, about 600 acres in Wabaunsee County and more than 1,500 acres in Riley County. Another 3,800 acres burned in Morton County in extreme southwest Kansas.

The blazes come less than a month after a fire that started in Oklahoma and spread into Kansas, burning hundreds of square miles. Most of the damage was in Kansas’ Barber County.

 

9 a.m.

Crews are fighting wildfires in northern Kansas, where forecasters are warning of dangerous fire conditions.

Riley County emergency management director Pat Collins says embers from an approximately 300-acre fire started by fence welders destroyed a mobile home. Collins says crews are also battling a 1,000-acre blaze and a third fire that has burned several hundred acres elsewhere in Riley County.

In nearby Geary County, a fire that burned 6,000 acres of mostly pastureland Tuesday is under control. Assistant Geary County emergency manager Curt Janke says no homes burned.

Crews also have been fighting wildfires in Morton County in the southwest of the state and Wabaunsee County in the north, while keeping an eye on a large Oklahoma blaze to make sure it doesn’t cross into Kansas.

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RILEY COUNTY -The fire outbreak in Northeast Kansas has been largely contained, according to local officials.
Wabaunsee County authorities report approximately 600 acres were burned near the town of Alma. The fire is 75 percent contained as of 10 p.m.

Local fire officials have released the mutual aid responders from nearby counties and continue to monitor flare-ups. One house and one outbuilding are reported destroyed.

Riley County officials report 400-500 acres burned in the vicinity of Marlatt and U.S. 24, where approximately 100-150 residents were evacuated from a mobile home park. One mobile home was destroyed by fire. A shelter was opened in Cico Park in Manhattan.

Geary County officials report approximately 6,000 acres burned. The fire is 95 percent contained. No structures were lost.

A large grassfire destroyed one home and seven to eight outbuildings in the community of Wilburton in Morton County. The fire burned approximately 3,800 acres and is 95 percent contained.

Due to a shift in prevailing winds, a grassfire in Oklahoma is no longer threatening Comanche County, Kansas.
Six wildfires occurred in Pottawatomie County, burning an unknown amount of acreage. One garage was damaged, but officials are not certain the damage was related to the wildfire.

RILEY COUNTY -The fire outbreak in Northeast Kansas has been largely contained, according to local officials.
Wabaunsee County authorities report approximately 600 acres were burned near the town of Alma. The fire is 75 percent contained as of 10 p.m.

Local fire officials have released the mutual aid responders from nearby counties and continue to monitor flare-ups. One house and one outbuilding are reported destroyed.

Riley County officials report 400-500 acres burned in the vicinity of Marlatt and U.S. 24, where approximately 100-150 residents were evacuated from a mobile home park. One mobile home was destroyed by fire. A shelter was opened in Cico Park in Manhattan.

Geary County officials report approximately 6,000 acres burned. The fire is 95 percent contained. No structures were lost.

A large grassfire destroyed one home and seven to eight outbuildings in the community of Wilburton in Morton County. The fire burned approximately 3,800 acres and is 95 percent contained.

Due to a shift in prevailing winds, a grassfire in Oklahoma is no longer threatening Comanche County, Kansas.
Six wildfires occurred in Pottawatomie County, burning an unknown amount of acreage. One garage was damaged, but officials are not certain the damage was related to the wildfire.

 

 

 

By 10 p.m. Tuesday the fire on Burley Hill was 95% contained. No injuries were reported.

Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges said there were a few small spots burning where firefighters could not reach them.

“The storage shed at the Humboldt Cemetery caught fire briefly. Don’t know the extent of damage on that. A firefighter saw it and was able to get it put out right away.” Berges added no other structures were damaged during the fire.

Rough estimate, Berges thought probably 6,000 to 7,000 acres burned. People on Burley Hill Road who were evacuated were allowed to return to their homes.

As of 10 p.m. firefighters were having to deal with fire flare-ups in the Ridge Road area.

There were multiple other grass fires in the county Tuesday, with other agencies assisting in putting them out including Fragant Hills, Dickinson County Rural Fire District One, White City, Dwight, and Fort Riley Fire Departments.

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A major fire consumed grassland in southeast Geary County on Tuesday.

Firefighters responded early Tuesday afternoon to the location in the K-57 area after a controlled burn from Monday rekindled with the gusty winds.

No injuries have been reported, but Geary County Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges said residents along a three to four mile stretch of Burley Hill road are being evacuated. He indicated that involves approximately 8 to 9 homes.

Berges estimated 50 to 60 firefighters plus are battling the blaze. “We’ve got support from Dickinson County, from White City Fire Department, the Dwight Fire Department, I believe also the Alta Vista Fire Department fighting that and other multiple fires throughout Geary County. ”

Berges added that he spoke with County Commission Chair Florence Whitebread. “We’ve got an emergency declaration for Geary County which gives us ability to pull in more resources as we need them, and also to, if this goes big enough, maybe get some sort of reimbursement.”

The sky in the Junction City area was filled with smoke Monday evening due to all of the grassland burning during the day.

Garry Berges, Geary County Rural Fire Chief, estimated approximately 12,000 to 15,000 acres of grassland were burned on Monday as part of controlled burns.

He reported that the Rural Fire Department was called out on three fire calls. One was in Riley County along K-177 Highway just north of Interstate 70 about 2:45 a.m.  “Right around lunch time we got called to the area of Kickapoo School Road and 77 – K-157 intersection about three miles outside of Rock Springs ( 4-H Center ) for an out-of-control grass fire.” In that case Woodbine Fire and White City Fire provided assistance. That blaze burned approximately 80 acres.

About 3:30 p.m. Geary County assisted Riley County on a large fire north of the interstate about a mile-and-a-half off the McDowell Creek exit.

There were no injuries or structural property damage from the fire. Berges expects the smoky haze to get a little bit worse but with 35 mph winds in the forecast on Tuesday he expects the smoke to blow out of the area early Tuesday morning.

Upcoming guidance for ‘Joining Forces’ events during Month of the Military Child

In April, to celebrate the Month of the Military Child and as part of her Joining Forces initiative, Dr. Jill Biden, a lifelong educator and military mom, will participate in several events in support of military children’s education.

On Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6, Dr. Biden will visit Fort Riley, Kansas to meet with active duty service members, military spouses and military-connected students and their teachers.  During the visit, Dr. Biden will highlight the educational partnership between Fort Riley and Kansas State University as part of Operation Educate the Educators—an effort Dr. Biden launched through her Joining Forces initiative to train teachers to recognize the unique needs of military-connected students in their classrooms.

On Monday, April 11 at 1:30 p.m. (ET), Dr. Biden will deliver remarks at the American Association of Education Researchers Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.—the largest gathering of education researchers in the world—on the importance of recognizing and supporting military-connected students in the classroom.

On Wednesday, April 13, Dr. Biden, in collaboration with the Military Child Education Coalition and the University of Southern California, will convene educators, stakeholders and influencers at the White House to discuss the progress of Operation Educate the Educators, and to lay out the next steps to sustain and grow this important initiative on behalf of military families.  At 10 a.m. (CT), Dr. Biden will be joined by Secretary of Education John King to deliver closing remarks at the convening in the South Court Auditorium at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration has approved the Flint Hills Regional Council’s request for designation as an Economic Development District. Geary, Riley, Morris,Pottawatomie,Wabaunsee, Lyon, and Chase Counties are included in the EDD.

According to the Director of the Flint Hills Regional Council, the designationhas benefits that will help strengthen the economics of the Flint Hills region. It will also give the region access to federal funds. The mission of EDA is, “to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regionsfor growth and success in the worldwide economy.

Stith said “This designation as Economic Development District will support efforts to work together as a region to enhance the economic viability of our communities through the Flint Hills.”

 

A former orthopedic surgeon at Flint Hills Orthopedic and Sports Medicine at Geary Community Hospital in Junction City , Allan Drysdale Holiday, has pleaded no contest and been found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of Endangering a Child.

A plea agreement was reached in his case, and the no contest pleas were entered Thursday in Geary County District Court. One felony charge of Aggravated Sexual Battery was dismissed.

Prosecutor Chris Biggs stated that the initial charge of Aggravated Sexual Battery carried a 32-month presumptive sentence, if convicted. “But it’s what’s called a border box where there’s no guarantee of any prison time.”

Biggs also said, “In addition that particular crime required proof that the touching was accomplished by fear, and one of the factual questions in the case was whether the fear occurred prior to the touching or after the touching. And if it was after the touching then it would have a bearing on that particular element.” Biggs noted he felt that if the matter had gone to trial the best opportunity for the State would have been to obtain a conviction for one count of the lesser offense of Sexual Battery, a class A misdemeanor. Instead, under the agreement, Holiday was convicted of two misdemeanor charges which carried a consecutive penalty of one year on each count.

Following the pleas in District Court the imposition of the 24-month jail sentence was suspended and he was placed on supervised probation for 24-months. As a condition of probation Holiday was then ordered to serve 30 days in the Geary County jail, effective immediately. After that he will be released on probation.

The probation has a variety of conditions ranging from no contact with the victims and no contact with minors under the age of 18 unless they’re accompanied by a parent, to 100 hours of community service which may be served in his professional capacity, and to an evaluation which will also require him to follow all recommendations contained in it including behavioral, medical, and environmental.

The Defense Attorney for Holiday, Bob Pottroff, said this was a situation where the parties could get together and resolve a case in a fashion  beneficial for everyone. “There was potential in this case for lots of people to get hurt unnecessarily, and take risks unnecessarily, and be subjected to things that were not pleasant. This agreement avoided all of that for the good of virtually everyone.”

Pottroff also disclosed details about Holiday’s life that had not been revealed before, including the fact his ( Holiday’s ) wife had died unexpectedly 25 years ago and he had to raise a 3-year old son. “It’s during that period of  time that Doc figured out for himself that he may be gay, however he refused to ever acknowledge that. And his strong religous beliefs and his conservative value system made it such that he did everything in his power to hold back any of those feelings and hold back the reality that in all probability he was gay.”

Pottroff noted this event was a shock to many, including Holiday. “But nobody knows that he voluntarily turned in his license ( medical ) knowing that if he could go through the treatment and the life changes that are necessary to get himself back in full control where could function as one of the top surgeons in the country he was going to do so. He has been in treatment since then, and there will only be a 30-day break during this time that he spends in the Geary County jail, from that treatment.”

Pottroff stated he believed Holiday, within the next one to two years, will reemerge as a talented member of the medical community, serving the medical needs of patients as he done for most of his adult life.

Holiday was arrested by Junction City police last July after they reported that they had received a complaint in the case on July 26th involving a 16-year old juvenile. Geary Community Hospital officials confirmed some time later that Holiday was no longer employed by by the hospital.

 

The NBAF project was the primary topic for the Junction City Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday at the convention center.

The liason from NBAF to the president at Kansas State University, Ron Trewyn, told the audience the purpose of the facility being built in Manhattan is to protect U.S. livestock from animal diseases including thoe that spread from animals to people.

Construction is under way right now. Trewyn said the excavation for the main lab began in the July – August time frame of last year. “One hundred-twenty thousand cubic yards of dirt were removed from the site.” He also stated there will be a five-year construction period on the project.

The cost to build the lab has been calculated at $834 million, an $80 million central utility plant has already been built on the site. It will take 60,000 yards of concrete, 13,000 tons of steel, and four and a half billion linear feet of electrical wire. That wire would cover an 800-mile distance.

There are four cranes in place for the construction effort, and the hole dug at the facility site was 43-feet deep. Trewyn noted on some days more than 1,000 construction workers will be on the site.

New fixed routes for the public transportation service aTa Bus are expected to begin at the end of April in Junction City.

The director of aTa Bus, Anne Smith, said Monday the rides will cost $1 per ride, and if you are over 60, disabled, or low income you can apply for the 50-cent half-fair. Monthly passes with unlimited usage are $30, or if you qualify for half-fair $15.

Smith said 67-pecent of the community will be within one-fourth of a mile of a fixed route bus stop. Some locations for the bus stops include Wal Mart, Hormel, Foot Locker, Geary Community Hospital, Advanced Call Center Technologies, through the downtown area, and on 6th Street.”Every 30-minutes there’ll be a bus going either one direction or the other.” That will apply from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Smith added there will be “no Saturday or Sunday ( service ) to start out with.”

Smith said aTa Bus averages about 1,000 rides per month in Junction City, and between 500 and 700 rides per month on the inter-city shuttle between Manhattan, Junction City, and Ogden. Those rides are by appointment only at the present time.

Each of the new buses will need to be wrapped with the aTa bus logo.

The members of the Geary County Commission inspected the buses on Monday, and received a briefing.